


Here to Kingdom Come

by fatedfeathers



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, M/M, No Dialogue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-15
Updated: 2017-04-15
Packaged: 2018-10-19 02:45:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10630524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fatedfeathers/pseuds/fatedfeathers
Summary: There was a time when soulbonds mattered to the kingdoms.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kat28](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kat28/gifts).



There had been a time, once, when soulmarks had mattered to the kingdoms. A time when people, commoner or nobility, had been allowed to marry their soulmate, regardless of class. A time when the sanctity of a soul bond was respected.

  
Those times were long gone now, though. Nowadays, the kingdoms acknowledged that soulbonds existed, but rarely allowed them to influence pairings, unless certain bonds would provide certain alliances or keep the peace. Regardless of whether a noble was a king or an earl, most would never be granted the opportunity to meet their soulmate; even if they did get an opportunity, they would even rarer still be allowed to make any form of connection with their soulmate, let alone build a relationship with them.

John Laurens was the son of Duke Henry Laurens. As long as he could remember, he had a single quill inked along his left forearm. He often wondered what his soulmate was like, to leave a mark so unassuming and yet meaningful; everyone knew that a quill and the ability to use one well was a very powerful ability to have. He wondered what quality of his could match a quil, how he fit into his soulmate's life. He wondered who his soulmate could be; he had grown up with the children of the other nobles, and none had a corresponding mark to his own.  
John Laurens wondered a lot of things, but rarely did he wonder if he'd be allowed to be with his soulmate. He knew from a young age that his father wouldn't allow him to marry for bonds, unless it would better the Laurens house and name. His younger siblings would have more luxury and choice in the matter, but as the oldest heir of the Laurens name, John had little to no say in the matter.

From a young age, he had been betrothed to James Madison, the oldest heir of the Madison family. John liked James well enough; the older teen was more reserved than John tended to be, and was often sick due to a poor constitution. The two got along decently enough, though neither ever mentioned that they knew they weren't soulmates. John pretended he didn't know that Thomas Jefferson was James' soulmate, and James pretended that he didn't know that John had given up hope of ever finding his own soulmate.

John had long ago lost the belief that he would meet the one with a matching mark to his own. Not everyone would find their soulmate; it was a childish belief to think it was possible for everyone to meet the one person they were perfectly matched to. It was a good thought, perfect to give children hope, but there were too many people and too much space in the world for it to be possible, John figured. He knew some people who met their soulmates, but what were the odds _he_ would meet _his_?

\---

Alexander didn't have a title. He had made a vague name for himself in being a reliable library keeper for the Madison family, but he held no title. All he had was a drive to improve his station and his soulmark-- a simple inkwell sitting at the inside of the crook of his elbow. He didn't know who held his corresponding mark, or if he would ever meet them, but some small part of him hoped that maybe, just maybe, he would meet them.  
He had no illusions of being able to be with them; even though he was a societal nobody, there was a chance his soulmate was a societal nobody, and everyone knew that to society as a whole in the kingdoms, soulbonds meant little to nothing. But still, he hoped in the deepest corner of his mind.

  
The oldest son of the Madison house, James, was to be wed to the oldest son of the Laurens house by the end of the month. Alexander had been asked to help James choose books from the Madison library to purchase new copies of to fill the library of the Madison-Laurens household he'd be moving into after the wedding. Laurens would be coming to meet with James to look at book titles; Alexander had not heard James speak much about his betrothed, and was curious to meet the young man.

  
What he wasn't expecting was, the moment he laid eyes on John Laurens, for his soulmark to flare with warmth and color in with a soft forest green. His eyes widened, and he looked from his exposed arm to Laurens and back again. Alexander Hamilton was, for once, at a loss for words.

\---

John Laurens was not expecting this. He couldn't say he was expecting much from going to James' house to look at books for their combined library, but he could definitely say he was not expecting this to happen.

  
He had long ago given up on finding his soulmate, and yet upon meeting the Madison's head librarian, his soul mark flared warm, almost hot, and filled in with a lovely forest green color. He'd met the one who had left a quill on his arm for years, the one he'd never hoped to find, in the home of his betrothed. He looked to the librarian, and locked eyes with him for a long, drawn out moment, before breaking contact and turning to James.  
He wasn't here to meet his soulmate. He was here to choose books to fill the library he'd share with his future husband. As much as it pained him, he could'nt meet the librarian. He wouldn't put himself through knowing who the universe had paired him with, his perfect match, and being unable to be with him. He didn't know how James managed it with Jefferson, although knowing the other man his whole life and maintaining a good friendship probably helped.

  
But John knew that he couldn't do something like that, couldn't live like that.

  
And so he turned away, and acted like it didn't pain him to turn away from his one chance to meet his soulmate.


End file.
